Special Days and Holidays Greetings

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In Holland, the second days of the main religious festivals are also holidays, most shops and businesses are closed. (tweede 2 'second')
Tweede Kerstdag 2
Tweede Paasdag 2
Tweede Pinksterdag 2

Oudejaarsavond 2 [old year's evening] - new year's eve night Nieuwjaarsdag 2 New Year's Day Oud en Nieuw 2 New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, the New Year Holiday

Prettige Kerstdagen! 2 Merry Christmas! - >> Prettige Kerstdagen en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! 2 Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Vrolijk Kerstfeest! 2 quick Merry Christmas! Zalig Kerstfeest! 2 Blessed Christmas! (said by Roman Catholics)

Zalig Uiteinde! 2 Happy Year's End! (jocular and among Catholics) Prettige Jaarwisseling! 2 3 [Happy Year's Change] Happy New Year's Eve and New Year's Day Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! Happy New Year! - Resolutions

Prettige Paasdagen! Happy Easter! Vrolijk Pasen! Happy Easter Zalig Pasen! 2 3 Blessed Easter! (said by Roman Catholics)

Prettige Feestdagen! 2 Happy Holidays! Ik kijk uit naar de kerstdagen I'm looking forward to the Christmas [days] holiday Ik kijk uit naar de feestdagen I'm looking forward to the holidays

dennenboom more trees

kerstboom

Special Holidays Treats

Carnaval 2 'Carnival' - the festivities just before the 'fasting' of Lent Aswoensdag 2 'Ash Wednesday' De Vasten 2 3 ['Fasting'] 'Lent' - the 40 days before Easter: moderate consumption Witte Donderdag 2 White Thursday, the day of the last supper Goede Vrijdag Good Friday, the day Jesus died on the cross

Hemelvaartsdag 2 3 Ascension Day, when Jesus went up to heaven, 40 days after Easter Maria Hemelvaart 2 Mary's Ascension Day

5 Mei (May 5th) - Bevrijdingsdag Liberation Day - when the German army surrendered at the end of the Second World War, 1945 May 4th, evening: Dodenherdenking commemorating those who died in the Second World War

Koningsdag 2 April 27, the king's (birth)day.
It used to be: Koninginnedag 2 "The Queen's Day" (April 30th) - actually the previous queen Juliana's birthday, but the last queen Beatrix's birthday is in Winter, less suitable for open-air festivities.
In the 2013 troonswisseling ('change of throne') Queen Beatrix was succeeded by her son Willem-Alexander
Willem Alexander Prinsjesdag 2 [little princes' day] - the third Tuesday in September, when the King or Queen ceremoniously presents the government's budget for the next year.

Sinterklaas 2 December 5th, when the Dutch Santa Claus gives out presents - >>

(De) verjaardag birthday
"Hartelijk gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag!" [Heartfelt congratulations on your birthday] - Happy birthday (informal) ‑>> Gefeliciteerd! 2 Congratulations! Van harte gefeliciteerd 2 Congratulations 'from the heart' Hartelijk gefeliciteerd! Many Congratulations! more Birthday

Do note that Dutch people congratulate  on birthdays, there is no "Gelukkige verjaardag"  or things like "Gelukkige Koningsdag/Moederdag/Vaderdag"  etc. - but next to the congratulations you could write or say in a phone call:
Een prettige dag gewenst Wishing (you) a nice day or:  Een prettige dag nog Wishing you an enjoyable day (said when that day has already begun) Een gezellige dag gewenst 2 3 Wishing (you) a pleasant day in the company of friends and/or relatives

(de) trouwdag 2 'wedding day' - also: 'wedding anniversary' >>

moederdag 'Mother's day'
vaderdag 2 'Father's day'

(De) verjaardag - the yearly 'birthday.' Literally translated, 'birthday' is 'geboortedag' - a very unusual word in Dutch, only used for that one day in the past that a person came into this world, and only in a sense like in 'Born on the 4th of July.' 'Date of birth' (bureaucratic use, including year) is (de) geboortedatum 2 ->>
With 'wedding day' it's the other way 'round between Dutch and English: '(de) trouwdag' 2 is both 'wedding day,' the day of the vows and what English calls 'the Anniversary,' the yearly return of that date.

Referring to activities on the traditional holidays or maybe festive days in general, Dutch often uses 'met' - but not to indicate a specific day.
Met Oud en Nieuw On New Year's Eve and New Year's Day Wat doe je met Pasen? 2 3 What are you going to do over the Easter Holiday? Met Kerstmis gingen we naar de nachtmis At Christmas we went to the midnight mass We gingen naar de nachtmis met Kerstmis We went to midnight mass at Christmas We gingen met Kerstmis naar de nachtmis 2 We went to midnight mass at Christmas Met m'n verjaardag blijf ik thuis 2 3 I'm staying home on my birthday BUT: Ze is op Kerstdag geboren 2 She was born on Christmas Day

Meet and Greet
Common Dutch Phrases
First Words (with pictures)
Breakfast, Lunch, Treats and Snacks
Vegetables - Fruits - Meals
1000 Basic Dutch Words
Master Lists of Common Dutch Words:
English to Dutch - Dutch to English
Time
lookalike Dutch and English words
Easy Dutch (not a smartphone page)

More Good Dutch Smartphone Pages

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